Friction-clutch mechanism.



No. 853,676. PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

- G. L. BROWN.

FRICTION GLUTGHMEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION TILED FEBJZE, 1905.

IMVENIOR aeaj-gel.zmn

nr'ramm WITNES'SESI UNITED STAT i158; PATENT ()FFIQE,

GEORGE LAWRENCE BROWN, or ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN I QLUTCHCOMPANY, or YEIA, OHIO.

' "'FRiCTION-CLUTCH MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LAwRErIcE BROWN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Elyri a, in the county of Lorain and Stateof'Ohio, have invented a newand Improved Friction Clutch Mechanism, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and'exact description, I

My invention relates to improvements in friction-clutch mechanism, andmore particularly to such an appliance as is adapted for use upon gasengines it being my object to produce a satisfactory clutch which shallmeet the requirements obtaining in operating gas engines. is one whichshall fit upon the short shaft extending beyond the fly-wheel of a gasengine, and permits the engine to be started before the load is thrownon by operating the clutch. The requirements are such that all of theparts of the friction-clutch mustlie upon one side of a given plane,represented by the fly-wheel of a gas engine, and shall at the same timebe-strong, serviceable and I eilicient in permitting the transmission ofpower to any connected machinery.

I may briefly describe my improvement in a preliminary way by statingthat it comprises a sleeve secured toand extending a shortdistance-beyond the endof vthe shaft,

one end of which is enlarged to form a drum that surrounds the hub ofthe engine flywheel, on the other end a sleeve is mounted to whichissecured the friction band and pulley wheel, and means for causing thefriction band to engage and disengage the drum in order that the.fpulley may be connected and disconnected cm the shaft so that theengine may be started without turning the driving mechanism. r

The purpose'of the invention is to provide a simple, effectiveandeconomic clutch pul ley, which can bequickly and conveniently operatedand which is capable of ready ap plication to any engine, whether theshaft extends beyond the flywheel for the recep-.

, tion of the pulley, orwhether it be necessary to apply the devicedir'ectlyto the fly wheel.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accon'lpanymg drawings forming apart()filhlS specifica- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filedFebruary 25,1905. Serial No. 247,262.

Preferably the said appliance Patented May 14, 1907.

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures. Figure 1 is'a side elevation of the fly wheel of anengine andprojecting end of the drive shaft, and a longitudinal sectionthrough the iifiprov'ed clutch pulley applied to the shaft Fig. 2 is a'transverse section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; andFig. 3 is a sectional peripheral view of the fly -wheel and alongitudinal section through a portion of the device, the view beingdrawn on a smaller scale, and illustrates the application of. the-devicedirectly to a fly. I Arepresents the fly wheel of an engine, A

the hub. of the same and A the projecting end of the .drive shaftonwhich the fly wheel is mounted. A sleeve 10 is splined at- 11 upon theprojecting end of the shaft A and extends some distance out beyond theend of the shaft, while at the opposite'end of theears are provided withcorresponding aper-- tures 15.

Athreaded red C is passed throughthe openings 15 in said ears 14-, thethread at one side of the center of the rod being .a righthand threadand that at the other side a lefthand thread, as is shown at 16. and 16in Fig. 2. Screws or bolts 17 are passed through the ears 14 into theopenings 15 and extend into the grooved sections of the threads on saidrod, so that by turning the threaded rod C in' one direction the ears 14will be drawn together and the clutch member will be contracted int-ostrong frictional engagement with the hub 12 so as to turn the drivingpul-V ley B, the hiib whereof is connected with sa d clutch member C ina manner to be hereinafter described. QlfVhen the threaded rod C isturned in an opposite direction, the cars 14 are forced apart and theclutch member is taken out of frictional contact with the hub 12, andthedriveshaft' may turn without moving driving aulley B- I 10, 'nf'o'twisfh' t understood, however,

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as necessarily limiting myself to the arts 17, against which the rightand left-ban threaded member reacts, since other well known means may beused instead -for securing the coiitraction and expansion of the clutchmember.

A sleeve 18 provided with a Babbitt lining 18*, is mounted to turnloosely on the main sleeve connected with the drive-shaft, and the hub Bof the driving pulley is splined to the sleeve 18, as is shown in .Fig.1.. The said sleeve 18 is connected by a web 20 with the clutch member 0at a point op osite the opening 13 therein, as is shown in igs. 1 and 2.

A collar 21 fixed upon the mam sleeve 10 serves to hold the clutchsleeve 18 in posi tion, and a second collar 22 is mounted to slide uponthe main sleeveto and from the fixed collar 21. The sliding collar 22may be operated through the medium of a connected hand wheel 23, or itsequivalent, as for examplc a lever.

The threaded rod C is operated by the movement of the sliding collar 22in the following manner: Anarm 24 is secured to the central portion ofthe rod 0 and toggle levers C are pivotally connected with sald arm 24and with a post 25 which extends from the clutch sleeve 18, and saidtoggle levers (l by .means of a link 26 are ivotally connected with afinger 27 on the s iding collar 22 as is shown in Fig. 1; and when theclutch device is in position on the drive shaft A the outer end of themain sleeve '10 is closed by a cap 28 or like device as is shown inFig. 1. In order that the collar 22 may have guided movement on the mainsleeve 10, a guide rod 29 is secured. to the said collar beneath-thefinger 27, and the said guide rod 29 has. sliding movement in a channel30 produced in the hub, as is shownin Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the application of the main sleeve 10directly to the fly wheel A, and when such an application of the deviceis made the hub 12 of the main sleeve 10 is provided with-a flange 12,and the said flange is bolted or otherwise secured to the spokes or webportion of the fly Wheel.

While my invention primarily is designed for use beyond the fly-wheel ofa gas engine, it should not be understood that it is necessarilyrestricted thereto, inasmuch as the clutch mechanism herein disclosedmay be suitably associated for transmitting power between variousmechanisms.

Having thus described my. invention, I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters iatent 1. in clutch pulleys, a hub, an extension fromthe hub, clutch member comprising a di vided ring which encircles thehub, a sh ve connected to the clutch member and rsfoimted on the hubextension, a.pullej 's'e cared the said sleeve, a device forcon tractingand expanding the divided ring, and means for operating the said device,which means are carried by the hub extension.

2. In clutch pulleys, a sleeve, a hub forming a portion of'the sleeve, adivided ring mounted on the hub, ears extcndingfrOm the ends of thering, a screw having right and left-hand threads, mounted .to turn inthe said cars, pins carried by the ears', engaging the threads of thescrew, a sleeve loosely mounted on the hub sleeve, a connection betweenthe said sleeve and the said ring, a collar mounted to slide on the hubsleeve, and a toggle connection between the said collar, the saidthreaded rod and the ring sleeve.

3. In clutch )ulleys, a main sleeve, a hub at oneend of the said mainsleeve, a collar mounted to slide on the opposite end of the hub, adivided ring mounted on the hub of the main sleeve, said divided ringbeing provided with cars at its ends, a rod having right and left-handthreads, the threaded portion of the rods being adapted to turn in saidears, pins carried by the ears, engaging the threads of the rod, asleeve connected with said ring, which sleeve is mounted on the mainsleeve, an extension from the ring sleeve, a crank arm extending fromthe threaded rod, and a toggle connection between the extension from thering sleeve, the said crank arm andthe sliding collar.

4. In clutch pulleys, a main sleeve having a hub at one end, a collarmounted to slide on the main sleeve, which collar is provided with afinger extending in direction of the hub, a divided ring encircling thesaid hub, a rod having right-and left-hand threads, the threaded. ortionof the rod beingin engagement with the end portions of the ring, a crankarm extending from the said threaded rod, a sleeve mounted on' the mainsleeve and connected with said ring, a pulley connected with the ringsleeve, an extension from the ring sleeve, toggle levers connected withthe said extension and with the crank arm on the threaded rod, and alink connection between the toggle levers and the finger of said slidingcollar.

5. In friction clutches, a shaft and a bandwheel mounted thereon havingan extension on said shaft, a brake-band about said wheel having a hubat one side thereof rotatably mounted on said extension and a pulleyhaving a hub fastened upon the hub of the brake-band, in combinationwithmeans to tighten and' loosen the brake-band comprising a right and lefthand screw engaged in the ends of said band, a set of links and aconnecting link, and a collar mounted on the said ex'tension'of theband-wheel.

6. In friction clutches, a flywheel and a shaft having its endprojecting through to cine side 'o'tsaid wheel, in combination with aband-wheelimounted'on said end of the shaft ,and having atub'ularextension sleeved on said end and projecting outward beyondv thesame, a brake-band about said band-wheel and having a hub looselymounted von said ex'tension,,'a pulley fixed uponsaid hub and. means totighten and loosen said brake-band slidably mounted in part upon'theouter end of said extension in part upon the hublof the brake -band. I II 4 7. In a friction-clutch device, the combination with a rotatableshaft, of a bandwheel mounted thereon and providedwith a lateral"extension or sleeve, an encirclin clutch-member positioned aboutsaidwhee w provided with a sleeve-partrotatably mounted upon said extension,aa.;pulley or wheel securednto the clutch-member, means for tightening.and. loosening said clutch-member, comprising a right and left handscrew mounted to open and close the encircling clutch member, anactuating collar slidably mounted beyond the clutchmechanism, andconnecting links unitin the same with the screw,- substantially assetforth.

St In a-friction-clutch device, the combination with a rotatable shaft,of a band wheel mounted thereon and provided with a' lateral extensionor sleeve, an encircling clutch-member positioned about saidwheelprovided with a sleeve-part rotatably mounted upon said extension,apulle'y' or wheel secured to the clutch-member, means for tight- 'eningand loosening said clutchmember,

comprising a right and "left hand. screw mounted to open and close theencircling clutch-member, an actuating collar slidably mounted beyondthe clutch mechanism,

i g d two-links forming a toggle-joint associated with the screw andconnected with the actuating collar; the joint between said links beinadapted to be forced past a vertical positiontq lock the clutch-memberinto engagement with the band-wheel, substantially assetforth.

9. In a friction-clutch device, the combimember associated with saidwheel and ro- .tatably 'mounted upon said, extension, a pulley or ,wheeloperatively connected with said clutch-member, means for engaging theclutch-member. with its associated bandwheel, and'a rotatably mountedhand-wheel positioned beyond the clutch-mechanism, associated with saidmeans .,and slidably mounted. to move longitudinally with respect' tothe shaft, for actuating said clutchmechanism, substantially as setforth.

10. In a clutch mechanism of the class de. scribed, the combination witha friction drum and sleeve adapted tobe mounted be: yondthe fi ly-wheelor driven-part, of a second sleeve mounted upon but rotatable .with

respect to the former, a pulley wheel and a eral extension or sleeve, anencircling clutch friction member for engaging the drum,

both carried by the latter sleeve, and means for causing the frictionmember to engage andhdisengage the drum,.substantially as set fort In.testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in thepresence of.

two subscribing witnesses:

GEORGE LAWRENCE BROWN. .Witnesses:

' Lnwrs D. BoYN'ToN,

. HARRY B. HEcooK.

